In a season of expected parity, two teams were thought to stand out from the 80-something-win traffic jam.

When Bovada set its over-under bets in spring training, the Nationals and Dodgers were the only squads established at more than 90 wins — both were at 92½. They were viewed — at least in the NL — as above the bumper-to-bumper fray.

The Dodgers might actually honor the number. They finished the weekend on pace for 92 victories. But here is the thing: They led the Giants (who swept the Nationals over the weekend) by just 2½ games. The historic rivals have seven games left against each other. The Giants are 9-3 in the series this year, and with their recent championship pedigree, appear to be in the Dodgers’ heads.

And here is the other thing: The Dodgers completed the weekend with a record one game worse than the Cubs, who were the current second wild card. So if the Giants overtake the Dodgers, there is no certainty the Dodgers would be one of the two NL wild cards.

Can you imagine the first $300 million-plus-payroll team not even making the playoffs? It would mark the Dodgers — championship-less since 1988 — as one of the great busts of all time.

Recently, a scout compared the Nats to the Bills. But those Marv Levy Bills made the playoffs every year and won a bunch of postseason games to reach — and lose — four consecutive Super Bowls.

Max ScherzerGetty Images

Over the last four seasons, the Nationals generally have been viewed as the best or second-best team on paper in the NL each year. Yet, if the season ended today, the Nats would have missed the playoffs twice in those four years — in an era of expanded postseason — and been eliminated in the Division Series twice. They would have won three playoff games in that time.

Their play this year has been unfathomable — and kind of unforgivable. They play in a division with three of the majors’ worst teams (Braves, Marlins, Phillies) and each got worse (at least on paper) at the trade deadline by dealing away established pieces.

The Nationals have a team-record payroll of more than $160 million. They made two terrific trades in the offseason in dealing Tyler Clippard for valuable infielder Yunel Escobar and moving Steven Souza in a three-club transaction that brought back Trea Turner (one of the majors’ top shortstop prospects) and right-hander Joe Ross, who has been terrific in his rookie season. Max Scherzer, despite recent failings, has on the whole had a terrific campaign after signing a seven-year, $210 million pact. Bryce Harper has turned hype into reality and is the NL MVP front-runner.

Yet Washington ended the weekend a game under .500 and 4½ back of the Mets.

Manager Matt Williams has been scapegoated for Washington’s woes.Getty Images

There has been a sense for years now that the leadership and culture in the Nationals clubhouse is amiss. There has been a theory that manager Matt Williams is too tightly wound. But it’s unlikely GM Mike Rizzo will have a Lou Lamoriello moment and make a late-season firing to try to stir an underachieving group into contention.

Rizzo did not respond to a text message, but he told Washington reporters Sunday: “I’ve had nothing but complimentary things to say about our manager since we hired him.”

As for Rizzo being in trouble, sources have told me reports of recently fired Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski surfacing in Washington are overstated and Rizzo has the backing of the owning Lerner family. However, one of Rizzo’s top aides, the respected Doug Harris, is expected to be in play for GM openings with the Phillies and possibly the Brewers.

Rizzo told reporters not to judge his team in mid-August, but at the end — and they do have six games left against the Mets. Can they get their heads right to make a run? Can disappointing vets such as Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Stephen Strasburg find the best of themselves for a quarter of a season?

Either that happens or the Nats are in position to be The Best Team That Never Was.